Love is in the Air
by Brenton
Summary: Chance and Jake find themselves struggling between their duty and hidden feelings. What will happen when love appears out of thin air and their true feelings being to emerge? Chance/Jake Pairing: M for Violence, Mild Language, and Strong Adult Themes
1. Prologue—Flying Continuously

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by to read my very first fan fiction. I'd like to give my deepest thanks and appreciation to Ulyferal for beta reading. Ulyferal's critique and advice has helped push and make this story what it is today. I've got a lot to learn, but I feel very honored to be guided by such an accomplished writer. Anyways please rate, review, and critique in any way you see fit; it would be nice to learn from this first experience. Happy reading! **

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**Chapter One: Prologue—Flying Continuously**

The golden skies of Megakat City lit everyday despite the constant turmoil, corruption, and danger that plagued the people of the city. Although evil forces and villains struck from time to time, plummeting the city into destruction, the SWAT Kats would always thwart their advances and save the day.

Partners in the sky, Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson, a.k.a. T-Bone and Razor, spend their days ever since their dismissal from the Enforcers as workers in the Megakat City Salvage Yard on the outskirts of the city. Angry at being kicked out and still desiring to protect the city they loved, Jake, with his mechanical ingenuity and genius, and Chance's piloting skills and boldness, became the SWAT Kats. Dispatching the bad guys the Enforcers lacked the ability to fight against, the duo became heroes of MegaKat City. Risking their lives high in the sky, both the burly tabby, Chance, and the lean and swift, Jake, flew in the Turbokat day in and day out patrolling and keeping the peace.

Yet as both partners continued to fight, living through dangerous and tense situations, their bond of friendship began to grow stronger and stronger as if every time T-Bone and Razor took to the sky in the Turbokat, nothing seemed impossible when the two were together. Life for the SWAT Kats meant a life full of responsibilities with few to little opportunities for love, relationships, and even friendships outside the two of them. Heavy with the burden of secret identities, Chance and Jake only found solace in each other with their humorous attitudes, sarcastic tones, and their partnership for the good fight.

As their first two years passed as the SWAT Kats, Chance and Jake held their ground among perilous adventures and found they not only saved the city, Mayor Manx, and Deputy Mayor Callie Briggs countless times, but also each other from death and from the difficulties of their complicated lives. As time passed, the stresses both mental and physical were beginning to drain the excitement of being the SWAT Kats out of the pair as well as the unspoken emotions they were hiding, making it harder to continue their mission as guardians of the city.

The weight of duty and responsibility as SWAT Kats caused Chance and Jake to rely on each other so much that something as simple as watching TV, fixing the Turbokat, or even sharing a meal was the only relief they got from their stressful lives. As the tension built, the bond between them continued to be tested until one day, their feelings for one another, still hidden, struggled and gasped for air against the turbulent downward spiral their relationship was heading towards and neither knew how to break the stalemate.

It would all come to a head when Razor found himself falling through the air toward the ground at breakneck speed as T-Bone watched in horror, heart pounding uncontrollably with fear and anguish, seeing their lives, dreams, desires and the truth never given wings, slipping away forever on that terrible, fateful day.


	2. The Dark Attack Begins

**Chapter Two: The Dark Attack Begins**

Normally, quitting time on a Friday saw the streets become clotted with the people of Megakat City hustling to get home for dinner, head out to the clubs, or even go to the bank to cash in a well-deserved check. But on this day, the streets were flooded with frantic and frightened kats trying to get away from the menacing airship advancing on them from over the bay heading toward city hall. Danger had once again surfaced as Dark Kat planned to not only destroy the Enforcers but also rid the city of Mayor Manx and the fair Calico Briggs.

At the salvage yard, Chance and Jake were working on the Turbokat in their secret hangar. Before they could finish putting the final touches and paint coat on it since the last outing, they received a call from a frantic Callie.

Chance was closest and picked up the ringing alarm phone. "What seems to be the problem, Ms. Briggs?"

"Dark Kat's attacking city hall. He sent some creeplings ahead of his airship that's on its way here from the bay. There's…" her voice cut off with a shout of alarm. Chance could hear a clattering sound which told him creeplings were there and a cry of fear from Mayor Manx.

"Callieeeeee!" Chance yelled, afraid for her.

"Help us, T-Bone. Dark Kat's got a...nooooo stop that! *fzzzz*" The communicator went dead. He stared at the phone for a shocked moment then hung it up quickly.

He didn't have to say anything since Jake had heard what had happened and was already heading for their lockers. Suited up quickly, the pair jumped aboard the Turbokat and roared out of the hangar and into the skies with all engines.

Meanwhile, Commander Feral ordered his troops to surround city hall to try and stop Dark Kat from reaching it as well as sending in several squadrons of jets to try and take out the airship before it came ashore.

He didn't know that Dark Kat had already sent an advance squad to city hall and that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were in danger. All his attention was focused on the enemy he thought was still heading inland. As he led the way in his own jet, Feral and his Enforcers got closer and closer to the airship. As they got close enough to fire their weapons they were preempted by Dark Kat launching a wave of missiles and laser fire at them, taking more than just a few jets from the sky.

Nothing Feral tried could stop the airship because Dark Kat employed the use of a mysterious force field which kept him safe. Meanwhile, the airship sailed majestically over the landscape, firing at random targets below causing devastation to homes, streets, and cars on the roads while Feral continued to harass him. As the airship closed in on city hall, Feral's ground forces and choppers open fired in desperate hope of stopping the evil criminal.

Adding to the scene of mayhem was the arrival of the SWAT Kats. Instead of charging into the battle, Razor had his partner hold back so he could see what was going on.

"We've got two problems, one save the Mayor and Callie and two get through Dark Kat's force field so we can take care of his airship," he said grimly.

"How do you propose we do that?" T-Bone asked gritting his teeth, waiting was driving him crazy.

"Land the Turbokat on city hall and save Callie while I eject and go take out Dark Kat. I have an idea how to sneak close and get aboard."

"What? Are you nuts?" T-Bone barked.

"No time to argue just get going!" Razor said sharply then punched his controls that allowed his seat to drop out of the cockpit. He engaged his thrusters and headed upward to the airship.

"RAZOR!" T-Bone yelled in his radio but his partner ignored him. Sighing angrily, he landed the Turbokat on the chopper pad on the city hall's roof.

Grumbling to himself about his partner's reckless behavior, he jumped to the ground and activated the homing beacon on his glovatrix that would point him the way to Callie's communicator, hoping it was still on or near the she-kat. He sighed in relief when he got a signal, he'd been afraid the communicator had been destroyed when it cut out so suddenly earlier.

As he ran through the clock tower and down the stairs toward the Mayor's offices, the back of his mind worried about his partner. Racing down the hall, he was downed by some creeplings that had been clinging to the ceiling keeping watch. Their vicious long claws dug into his neck and shoulders drawing blood.

Furious, T-Bone turned sharply and slammed his body against the nearest wall, trying to dislodge his unwelcome passengers. One was knocked out, falling to the hallway floor while another was only dazed. Two other creeplings were trying to haul him away but he managed to grab them by the necks and threw them...hard against the opposite wall, they slid to the floor unconscious. The one that was only dazed he thumped with his fist sending it the rest of the way out.

"UGH! Take that you little creeps!" T-Bone growled then hurried forward so he could step into the Mayor's office, holding his glovatrix at the ready the whole time.

The room was a mess but there was no sign of the Mayor or Callie. He called out, "Ms. Briggs, where are you?"

A muffled cry reached his ears sending him to look behind the big oak desk. There tied up and gagged, was Callie muffled and Manx. Before he could free them he looked up when he heard more clattering sounds. Through the pass through door to Callie's office from the Mayor's, he saw three creeplings setting up a bomb. Having heard T-Bone shout for Callie they were charging toward him.

Without hesitating, T-Bone straightened up and quickly fired two mini-octopus missiles at two of the creeplings just as they were crossing the room toward him. "Take that you pink uglies!"

The missiles sent them flying toward the plate glass window, shattering it and sending the two creatures soaring out into the air. The last creepling had reached T-Bone but he simply raised his other paw and snatched the pink thing by its leg then swung it into a nearby bookcase then letting go. The creature slid to the floor but before it could recover the books on the shelves fell on it, temporarily burying it.

With no time to lose, T-Bone hurried into Callie's office and knelt down beside the bomb. He swallowed hard. Dark Kat's pre-emptive planned attack had caught T-Bone off guard. Callie's garbled message was a warning of the impending threat at the Mayor's office, but neither SWAT Kat could have predicted such a heinous plan. This was something Razor was qualified for not him but there was no time to get his partner's aid or advice. Sweating and nervous, he opened the panel on top of the bomb and stared at all the wires and the timer.

"Crud, red wire or blue wire?" He anxiously asked himself as he studied the problem. With only seconds to make a decision, he reached in with some cutters and snipped a red wire that seemed to lead to the important parts of the bomb. The timer stopped and everything went silent. He slumped in relief...he'd made the right decision.

Leaving the bomb where it was at, he went back into the Mayor's office and began to untie the pair waiting for him.

"Oh T-Bone thank you for saving us," Callie said, reaching to give him a hug.

He shook his head, "We still have Dark Kat to deal with, excuse me!" T-Bone hurried out of the office and raced back up to the Turbokat, his only thought was on Razor.

"I'm on my way buddy," he muttered tightly to himself as he piloted the Turbokat off the roof and headed toward the airship which, to his surprise, was on its way toward Enforcer Headquarters. Dark Kat was certain his bomb at city hall would do its job and now confidently proceeded on with his destructive plan to take care of the Enforcers next, passing city hall without any signs of stopping.


	3. Explosive Entry

**Chapter Three: Explosive Entry **

After he left the Turbokat, Razor flew as fast as he could toward Dark Kat's airship. As he got closer, he began to feel a strange vibration emanating from it. It wasn't a force field as he'd first assumed but some kind of repulsion field. It didn't halt everything but since it could keep large objects from getting within shooting range, it amounted to nearly the same thing. There was a lull in the battle as the Enforcers tried to come up with something that could penetrate the field.

So far, Razor had noted close range weapons did manage to penetrate but the Enforcers had to be close to do any damage and the field prevented that. The only time they had managed to penetrate was when an Enforcer hanging from a parachute managed to fire through the field with his gun. But a parachutist couldn't halt his flight downward so he couldn't sustain the fire power to do any harm. However, Razor could control his flight.

'Weird kind of field that is but even though Dark Kat can keep jets and choppers away, he can't keep me out,' he thought to himself. 'Time to try and sneak in!'

Swiftly and discreetly, Razor guided his ejector seat towards Dark Kat's airship while avoiding Enforcers who were making another attempt on the airship, unknowingly providing Razor with much needed cover. His assumption about his ejector seat managing to slip in unnoticed had been correct as he maneuvered closer to the ship's skin only a little affected by the repulsion field that made his fur stand on end.

As he skimmed along the ship's body, getting nearer to the engines, he searched for any weak spots or way into the ship. Going lower, he finally spotted a possible way in. On the lower right belly where the docking bay was located, he found it to be partially damaged from an earlier and amazingly successful enforcer attack.

Maneuvering his ejector seat away from the ship a short distance, he used his targeting eyescope and zeroed in on his target. Firing his megalaser, he managed to open a hole big enough to get him and his seat in. The laser had simply melted the metal causing no noise or disturbance of the ship so he could sneak in.

Once inside, Razor released his seat belt, made sure his glovatrix was secured then climbed off his ejector seat and started running towards the engine room at the rear of airship. Avoiding creeplings as he ran, Razor quietly snuck into the engine room and began to look for the room's control panel, devising a plan to sabotage and bring the airship down.

The room was large and menacing. Huge turbines that kept the ship afloat filled the space as well as all its supportive pipes, fans, and tubes that funneled fuel to the twin engines. He found the control work station and, fortunately, it was not manned at the moment. He slipped close, looked and listened before moving to stand before it. Eyeing the controls, he decided to rig the engines to overheat causing them to blow, destroying the control station would do that. The resultant explosion would set fire to the fuel and rip the airship apart.

Stepping back from the station, he raised his glovatrix. "Mini Buzz-Saws deploy!" He said quietly. The saws cut the control station in half. Sparks flew everywhere and alarms began howling. By that time, Razor was already racing away towards the exit of the engine room, using every cover he could to keep from being seen by the ninja engineers that raced to the scene.

Unfortunately for Razor, Dark Kat wasn't as oblivious to his entry as he'd hoped. An alarm on his console told him his docking door had been breached. He stared into the camera and saw the SWAT Kat. Hissing in fury, he gave command over to one of his minions and headed for the engine room in a hurry.

He wasn't fast enough to prevent the control station from being destroyed but he was in time to get revenge as he came from between two pillars and gave Razor a mean fist to the tom's face, surprising and sending the SWAT Kat flying, hitting another pillar and sliding down to the floor, groaning in pain.

"Meddling SWAT Kat! You'll be dead before you even try to bring this ship down!" Dark Kat roared, furiously, reaching to grab his opponent again.

But, even though his head rang, Razor scrambled to his feet and yelled, "Too late...Dark Crud! You're through!" He attempted to dodge Dark Kat's grab but failed to see some creeplings charging at him through the only door out of the engine room.

He turned to try and get above them and escape that way, but they flew up and ganged up on him, pulling the small tom to the floor. Once within reach of Dark Kat's paws, the evil Kat proceeded to beat Razor relentlessly. Before Razor could even try to recover, DK grabbed the tom by the throat and pinned him against the wall, beginning to squeeze.

Razor struggled violently as he clawed at Dark Kat's paws to no affect. His vision began to fade around the edges, until he went limp.

Satisfied and grinning triumphantly, Dark Kat tossed the limp body to the floor. "You won't be going anywhere, SWAT Kat." He laughed darkly, he turned away and made for his escape pod, leaving Razor to die in his doomed metal monstrosity.


	4. Failed Rescue

**Chapter Four: Failed Rescue **

While the drama was going on in the airship, T-Bone had been trying to approach it but the repulsion field kept him away like everyone else. Frantic, he called to his partner repeatedly.

"Razor come in. Razor! What's going on buddy?" There was no answer just an empty carrier wave.

T-Bone stared anxiously at the airship and watched as the Enforcers battered it with everything they had, but except for a few pot shots getting through from parachutists attacking upon their descent, none of the choppers or jets could penetrate the odd repulsion field.

He had to get aboard that ship! The tabby had been so focused on trying to figure out a way to get to Razor, it hadn't dawned on him that the airship wasn't firing on anyone any longer. Frowning, he noted the Enforcers were just as surprised and were watching the airship warily.

Not knowing what it meant but hoping it had been Razor sabotaging the ship, T-Bone knew he had to get inside. Since it seemed his partner had succeeded in doing it, perhaps he could do it to. Risking the time it would take, T-Bone quickly went down to the Enforcer's flight line and landed the Turbokat at the end of the runway.

Dark Kat's airship was within a mile of the Enforcer building so T-Bone didn't have far to go to return to the airship. Popping the canopy, he sent his ejector seat upward, then used his glovatrix to secure the jet so the Enforcers couldn't board it. Now in free air, he hit the thrusters and hurried up to the still silent airship. Incredibly, he made it through the repulsion field of Dark Kat's airship and thought to himself how Razor must have figured it out and made it through in his ejector seat.

After circling the airship from behind, it wasn't long before T-Bone found the way his partner had gone in. Sending his seat toward the entry, he found Razor's seat and landed beside it. Unstrapping himself, he quickly began to run from the docking area, avoiding the apparently panicking and escaping crew. Suddenly the ship jerked violently, making him stumble a little. It felt like explosions were going off somewhere in the ship. He suspected Razor's plan had been to take down the engines and that he succeeded that meant he needed to find his partner and get out of here before the ship ripped apart with them in it.

Hurrying as fast as he could while still keeping from being discovered by the frantic crew, T-Bone continued on to the engine room. Dashing inside, he found it empty of personnel which made looking for Razor easier.

Before T-Bone found him, Razor had finally regained consciousness and found himself pinned down by debris caused by a nearby explosion from the overheating engines. He struggled to try and get free but his arm with his glovatrix was trapped beneath him and he couldn't move well enough to shift the debris pressing on him. He wished his partner was there to save him.

He didn't know his wish was about to be answered as T-Bone searched frantically around the huge engine room. Finally, he found his partner, nearly hidden by parts of the engine room.

"RAZOR!" He yelled anxiously, as the room began filling with smoke and burnt fuel which had started fires.

"T-BONE!" Razor shouted.

Before the tabby could reach his partner a huge explosion tore the back of the ship away as one of the huge turbines exploded and ripped apart. T-Bone had been thrown backward until he met a bulkhead. As he struggled to get back on his feet, he watched in horror as the wind pulled everything out of the torn hull taking Razor with it.

T-Bone screamed in anguish and tried to run toward the hole but further explosions jolted the ship and knocked him off his feet. A lurching feeling hit his stomach which told him the ship was falling from the sky. He had to get out of here. Getting to his feet again, he finally managed to jump out. His partner was below him, disappearing quickly from view, his delta pack not deployed. T-Bone plummeted to the ground hoping he'd fall fast enough to catch up with his partner. He just had to rescue him, despite the odds stacked against them.

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**I hope you have enjoyed up my first story up to this point. I'll be updating and adding more chapters shortly! Please review as I enjoy any comments or suggestions. Check back soon to see what happens next!~ **


	5. Descent

**The story has just begun. Hey everyone, I hope you've enjoyed the first beginning arc. Please enjoy this next set of chapters.**

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**Chapter Five: Descent**

The wind screamed around T-Bone, his face felt pulled viciously by gravity, but he didn't deploy his delta pack yet. He was still some distance from his falling friend and getting closer.

Dazed, confused and fading in and out of consciousness, Razor desperately tried to clear his head but the wind screamed by and tossed him violently sending needles of pain through him from injuries suffered during the explosion. His arms felt like lead so he couldn't lift them to open his delta pack. All he could do was continue to fall while his vision began to darken.

It was with tremendous relief that T-Bone finally managed to catch up to Razor and pass him. He quickly positioned his body so that his back faced the ground which slowed his body a little and T-Bone was able to catch Razor, hard, against his chest nearly driving the air from his lungs.

With Razor safely clutched in his arms, T-Bone rolled them into a standing position then engaged his delta pack. They jerked hard as the delta wing grabbed air and slowed their descent. Not being able to use his jet packs because he was holding Razor in his arms, he used the gliding ability of it to take them toward the flight line where their jet was.

Razor was just aware enough to realize he was being held in strong, warm arms and he was no longer falling helplessly. Taking that as a sign he was safe, he allowed himself to pass out completely.

Hugging Razor closer to him, T-Bone moaned softly more to himself than his partner as the wind kept them from hearing each other.

"Aw buddy! Why do you always have to pull the single hero split up crap? Aren't we in this together?"

While they glided closer and closer to the Enforcer building, T-Bone allowed himself to feel relief that his partner was safe while he worried about how badly injured the small tom was. It seemed to take forever before he was able to reach the flight line. Strong winds nearly dragged them off target but T-Bone persevered and swung their bodies in such a way to keep them on target and closer to the ground.

These last few moments were the toughest as the wind could catch the wing just right and yank them over the side. He had to time it just right and close the wing. They were just ten feet from the asphalt when he made the decision to collapse the delta pack. He curled his body around Razor and did his best to protect him as they hit the ground hard and rolled.

His shoulders and back were going to hurt for a while after that landing but he had to ignore his pain and get his friend into the jet before the Enforcers rushed up to them. He leaped to the wing and laid Razor inside on the floor since his seat was gone then squatted where his own seat had been before starting the engines and taking off.

As he lifted from the flight line, he was able to see Dark Kat's broken airship head for the streets. He grimaced as he saw it shear a couple of buildings sending huge chunks to the ground, missing the Enforcer building and crashing on a deserted street.

"Crud! Manx is going to be pissed and Feral's going to have a lot of work cleaning that up. Wish we could have dumped Dark Crud's ass over the ocean instead," he muttered to himself. "I bet he escaped too!" He added bitterly.

Flying the jet home was uncomfortable and by the time he halted it on the turntable and waited until they reached the hangar above, T-Bone was feeling serious cramps in his legs. But that didn't keep him from thinking back to that moment he shared in the air with Razor, the moments he embraced his partner. It had felt as if all the years as SWAT Kats had begun to melt away, back to a time when they weren't heroes, just Chance and Jake.

So much fighting and the continued dull life in the garage trying to pay the debt off to the Enforcers had slowly stolen away that first year's rush of excitement and glory they'd both had when they became the SWAT Kats. Instead of courage and boldness surging through his body, T-Bone began to feel fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness for the first time.

When the turntable finally halted, he shot the canopy back then tenderly pulled his partner into his arms and jumped to the floor nearly stumbling from his stiff legs. Hugging him close he carried him to the makeshift medical area they had created.

It scared him how limp and still Razor was in his arms. Only the fact he could feel a heart beat told him his friend was alive. Anger, worry, anguish and fear poured through T-Bone sending tears falling down his face and soaking his mask and facial fur. Though they had been victorious but the cost had been far too high and all he could think about was the feeling of his friend's limp and seemingly frail body in his arms.

Before he lay the small, lean body down on the bed, he hugged Razor tighter against his chest, feeling the warmth pass through him and thinking how wonderful that felt and how much he wanted to feel that when his best friend was awake.

If only the situation wasn't so dire and his friend was awake, he could finally say what he'd been wanting to tell his buddy for so long, but he needed to tend his friend's injuries. He tenderly laid Razor on the bed in the medical area of the hanger and stared down at him. Tears fell unheedingly down his face, releasing all the pent up feelings he'd hidden for years, overcoming the last barrier between them, allowing him to make a fateful decision.


	6. Realization

**Chapter Six: Realization**

T-Bone touched Razor's quiet face for a moment. It was warm and he could tell Razor still breathed alright.

He turned away and made for their lockers so that he could strip his clothes off. Dressed in his usual mechanics coverall, Chance hurried back to his friend, keeping his cool in order to help Jake.

Only the two of them were present in the large hanger and the emptiness echoed even louder with Jake quiet and unable to speak. The beating of his frantic heart was the only thing Chance could hear as he returned to Jake's side. Each move he made felt heavy and unreal as he nervously pull the SWAT Kat g-suit off Jake.

Burned and smelling of gasoline, metal and blood, Jake's uniform had taken the brunt of the explosion, leaving scorches and singe marks all over his back. Although the front of his suit looked normal, the entire back was bloody and burned. The dried blood stained uniform frightened Chance even more.

With Jake's mask and suit fully off, Chance could see Jake's burned back and cinnamon fur covered in blood. The damage was not life threatening but the shock from the extensive pain had caused Jake to pass out.

Going to the cabinet where Jake had stocked medical supplies, Chance pulled out everything he thought he would need and placed them on the bed beside the smaller tom. Very gently, he rolled his friend onto his stomach and began cleaning Jake's back. After applying burn ointment and treating all the other incidental wounds, Chance bandaged Jake up then put on very light undergarments on him before covering the tom with a light blanket.

Jake had made no sound as he was handled and moved then bandaged and redressed. That worried Chance a lot but other than that, the small tom's light breathing and faint purring reassured him that Jake was doing alright and that rest was what the tom needed.

Chance pulled a stool close to Jake's head. Reaching out, he softly caressed and petted Jake's face with his fingers. Fixing Jake's hair and cupping his slightly warm cheek, Chance thought to himself how handsome Jake appeared sleeping. He began to blush and felt the heat of embarrassment flush his cheeks, but it didn't stop him from staring down at his friend.

Thinking back to the heart stopping moment when he watched Jake plummet through the air, he realized just how much he truly cared for the tom beneath his fingers. He saw them more than just friends and fellow fighters. That thought alone was enough to steal his breath away. He didn't know when his feelings had changed but he did know he couldn't go on like they were simply friends any longer.

Feeling powerless, Chance sat next to Jake's bed, watching over him and pondering over the mixed feelings and thoughts that kept prodding and wandering around in his head.

"Jake, you have to get better buddy! I can't stand to see you like this...so limp and lifeless...it scares me!" He said aloud. "I have so many things to tell you...so many emotions...I just don't know how to deal with it. You're my life, my partner...I'm nothing without you!"

Tears welled in his eyes but he swiped at them in irritation. Jake wasn't dead just hurt...he would not wail over him like a lost kitten.

He sighed and his head dropped to his chest, eyes half closed while his fingers continued to stroke and caress his buddy's face. His mind went back over their past, how they'd been paired up in the Enforcers and how a close friendship had blossomed. The anger and humiliation of being booted from the force they both loved then regaining the skies because of Jake's genius. The battles to save the day and the personal hurdles...like Jake teaching him how to swim and Chance, in turn, using that new ability to save his best friend.

He appreciated even the smallest things Jake did for him like taking care of the tedious paperwork that was necessary to run the garage and tolerating his love of Scaredy Kat cartoons which made life for Chance more bearable.

Whatever Chance felt now, he believed it was nothing a SWAT Kat was suppose to feel. His sense of duty and responsibility were beginning to falter as he started to understand his feelings for Jake. Protective of his partner in the skies, Chance began to clearly see that his time with Jake and all their life together had caused a deep bond between them to form. And whether Chance accepted it or not, that bond had finally reached a point where he could no longer deny his more intimate feelings for Jake.

Friendship had slowly morphed to love. If he'd been asked years ago, that he'd have such feelings for a tom, he would have slammed a fist in that person's face but now, years later and with this person, Chance had to admit to having deep, loving feelings for his long time partner and friend...his very male friend.

"Crud. What am I going to do, Jake? I think I love you more than I thought possible. I can't lose you…" Chance murmured, wearily. Swallowing down his fear, he sat back, crossing his arms across his chest and watched Jake until his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.


	7. Dreams Reveal the Truth

**Chapter ****Seven****: Dreams Reveal the Truth**

Jake felt groggy and uncertain. "Where am I?" He wondered, looking around.

He found himself sitting on the floor of an empty white room. Looking down at himself, he found he was dressed in his Razor outfit. "Am I dreaming?" He asked himself, scratching his head. It didn't feel real so maybe it was a dream.

He felt warm and comfortable but he seemed to recall he'd been injured, however, there was no sign of it on him and he felt no pain so where was this place?

The warmth surrounding him felt welcoming and familiar, like something he'd yearned for but was always afraid to explore. As he tried to get a grip on what was going on, a voice began to stir, echoing around the room but there was no sign of the speaker.

"Jake...aren't we in this together?...Watch it know-it-all, where do you think you're going?...We need each other...You can't hide it anymore!" The fragmented statements of things he'd heard and imagined before coming from a familiar voice grew louder and louder in his ears.

Jake shivered at the sound of that voice and before he could even whisper the name, a stocky, powerful figure appeared before him. T-Bone stood there in full uniform, towering above the confused tom. He gazed deeply down at Jake before he ripped off his suit to appear as Chance Furlong in his light undergarments.

"Chance, what are you doing? What's going on?" Jake asked in bewilderment. But before he could get any answers, the white room began to spin. In a blur, Jake started to see the room become more defined and colored. Squinting, he tried to bring things into focus when they suddenly stopped and held still at last.

The room of whiteness had faded and a more defined room began to emerge. Transparent figures and images turned solid, as if Jake had been watching a mirage that suddenly turned to reality before his eyes.

What appeared was what looked like the garage but somehow different. The dingy and dismal blue walls were brighter, more colorful giving it a more homey touch. He stood slowly to his feet and looked through a surprisingly clean and clear window, seeing a cleared landscape that once held stacks of junk. A beautiful field of flowers and wild grasses stretched from the building to a horizon with no fence nor street, just gentle rolling hills of luscious green grasses.

Jake could only shake his head in disbelief. "Okay, I really must be dreaming," he said to himself then he saw a picture hanging on the wall. It showed him being held in a warm and protective embrace as a handsome tabby was kissing him.  
Staring at it in stunned disbelief, the dream Chance murmured gently, "Isn't this what you've always wanted, buddy?"

"What are you talking about? None of this is real, it could never happen. This is just a dream," Jake choked shakily, looking down at his trembling paws, unable to look into the face of the dream Chance.

But the question the image had asked was one Jake had dreamed of as being what a real home and true love should be like however, their jobs as SWAT Kats made those hopes impossible much less Chance feeling that way about him...it wasn't reality. He'd pushed all those dreams to the back of his subconscious and locked them away along with his heart, nearly forgetting he'd ever hoped for such happiness in the first place.

Something must have happened to cause these deep seated desires to resurface and be paraded before his dreaming eyes now. Angry and feeling foolish, Jake sat back down and refused to interact with the dream Chance and everything else his mind was trying to tempt him with. It wasn't real and that was that.

"Stop denying this, Jake. It's as real as you're willing to make it. Don't you trust me?" Dream Chance asked softly, still gazing down at Jake, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Of course I trust you! We trust each other explicitly, it's how we survive every time we go out as the SWAT Kats," Jake growled, crossing his arms across his chest and still refusing to look up. "I really don't need this now, Chance. None of this can happen in real life."

"Of course it can! You only have to make it so! I need you just as much as you need me...wanted me!" Dream Chance pushed, speaking passionately. Then the figure surprised Jake by picking him up and embracing him tightly.

That same feeling of warmth he'd felt earlier surrounded him. He ached so much to have that in truth that he gave in to his desires and hugged back. Here in this place, he could do and say what he wanted and not be hurt by what the real world would say about it.

"Jake, you don't have to hide what you feel for me. You're safe here...just say what you've been dying to say and I promise to not leave you no matter what it is," dream Chance whispered in Jake's ear then rubbed his face against the smaller tom's forehead before dropping a kiss on it.

Trembling with hope and desire, Jake gathered up his courage and, despite this being a dream, he blurted, "Chance…I'm…I'm gay and I love you…"

Dream Chance grinned broadly and gave Jake another light kiss on his forehead before saying, "There, now see...nothing's happened...I'm still here for you. It's time you said what you truly feel and not allow your intellect to rule all the time." Chuckling, his image began to fade away and was soon gone from Jake's dreaming mind.

"Wait, don't go!" Jake cried out in anguish, his arms now empty once more but the dream Chance was gone and he was once more in that empty white room. Sobbing, Jake sank to the floor in sorrow then that too faded leaving him empty and alone in the forest of his mind.

In the real world, Chance slept on unaware his friend was crying in his sleep. Tears ran unheeded and, by morning, no trace of them would be seen.


	8. Fearful Desire

**Chapter ****Eight****: Fearful Desire****  
**

Exhausted from the terrible day, Chance slept the night away in a seated position. His own dreams were filled with desire and hope, somehow paralleling with his friend's in some strange way. It wasn't unusual for Chance to dream about what happened that day, or about a Scaredy Kat cartoon or flying the Turbokat.

However, tonight things were very different. He dreamt of something so unimaginable that he would hardly call it a dream, but more of a premonition of the future. In his dream, Chance saw nothing but darkness. He couldn't hear or feel anything around him until he suddenly saw a quick flashback of the fight with Dark Kat and the terrible moment when Razor was falling through the air. Before he could become upset, the image swiftly changed to the one where he held Razor tightly to his chest. Relishing the moment, Chance reminisced about the warmth and the feeling of Jake against his body again.

"Chance…" A voice whispered from the darkness. Turning around Chance looked for the origin of the voice. "Chance…I need you…" Again he turned around and tried to peer through the darkness but to no avail.

"Jake is that you? Where are you? Jake!" Clawing at the darkness, Chance felt helpless and afraid. Each moment in the darkness without finding Jake felt like an eternity to Chance and only made him more panicked at his inability to locate him.

"UUUGGGHHH! JAKE!" Change roared as he slammed his hands down on the ground of the darkness.

The intensity of his attack shattered the ground until a blinding light shone through. Covering his eyes from the bright light, Chance felt himself engulfed in a warm and soothing presence. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself sitting in a chair next to Jake's bed. Looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary and Jake was still asleep.

"What a weird dream. Bet Scaredy Kat would be afraid of the dark," Chance snorted at himself, brushing off the dream and getting up to go to the bathroom. Suddenly, he felt something grab his paw.

Shocked, he whirled around and saw Jake sitting up on the bed...naked! His friend was smiling and tugging at Chance's paw to coax him to join him on the bed. Staring at Jake in confusion, he pulled his arm back and demanded, "What's going on here? You shouldn't be up as badly hurt as you were!" Then he looked down at himself. "What the hell...how did I get naked?"

"I…need…you…Chance," Jake whispered softly, laying back down but still begging him to come to him with his eyes.

"But…this can't be happening. It must be a dream!" Chance said doubtfully, looking around again but still seeing the same thing as before.

"Perhaps it is but that doesn't change the fact I want you...come here Chance," Jake murmured, sitting up then leaving the bed to embrace Chance. He rubbed himself against the tabby's heavily muscled body and hot fur.

Chance was frozen, unable to decide if this was truly happening or not. Undeterred, dream Jake cupped Chance's face and pulled it toward him for a kiss.

The touch of those warm lips convinced Chance to just go with whatever this was as he returned the kiss with a passionate one of his own. Wrapping his arms around dream Jake, he added caresses of his own down the long fur of Jake's back and buttocks. As their paws explored, their mouths fused and tongues searched out every part of the warm caves they delved in with intense ardor.

Intense need and wanting poured through each touch and kiss and when they paused to catch a breath, Chance gave dream Jake a look of love that needed no translation. Dream Jake smiled warmly as the two of them rubbed cheeks and nuzzled. Giving a silent command, Jake led Chance to the bed where they laid down together and cuddled tightly.

Darkness closed down Chance's vision and he began to feel cold. He called out sharply, "Jake... don't go!..." and ended up waking himself.

Nearly falling off the stool, Chance looked around himself and realized he'd been dreaming even though it had felt real. Looking over at the clock on the wall, he realized it was morning. Staring down at his friend, he noted how Jake looked a little better but was still out cold...not a good thing but there was nothing he could do but wait until the small tom recovered enough to wake on his own.

Standing up, he stretched and yawned. He thought about whether he should leave Jake here or move him...then decided the tom was safer here than in the apartment upstairs and hearing the noises of the day. He would set a monitor nearby the bedside so he could come to Jake's aid if he woke up and called on him then went out of the hanger to get showered and ready for the work day. Even though it was now the weekend, the garage was normally open on Saturdays and they needed the money.

Luckily or unluckily, depending on how one looked at it, the day was slow so he was able to take care of their normal household chores while keeping an eye on Jake throughout the day. The downside of having a quiet day was his confused emotions that had been stirred up during the dream plague him all day.

With Jake injured, he began to think more seriously about what they were doing with their lives. He had put so many of his own dreams on hold...was it finally time to stop doing that and reach out for what he truly wanted? The question haunted him all day, between duty and his true feelings. What he didn't want to happen and what held him back in the first place was his fear of being rejected by Jake but this constant need to hide his feelings was taking its toll and he didn't know if the dream was a way for his subconscious to demand he do something about it and soon. Before, Chance never had such feelings but now they crept on him all of a sudden since yesterday. His questioning sexuality didn't help to clear his feelings but made it even more difficult to even think about confronting Jake.

Checking Jake after lunch, he worried if he should seek medical help but Jake seemed to be alright just still unconscious. "Jake, I'll be here for you…just don't go and leave me. Hang in there buddy," he pleaded aloud to his friend, touching the still face a moment before leaving to back upstairs.

Heading to the bathroom, still sore from yesterday and exhausted by the work earlier that morning, he splashed water on his face then looked at his reflection in the mirror. "What am I going to do?" He asked himself...not certain about telling his best friend in the whole world that he loved him.

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**Another arc completed. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I'm still writing and planning the next arc, so it'll be a bit longer till my next update. So please sit tight and look forward to more soon! Please rate, review or comment. I enjoy your opinions as I continue to learn from this experience. Happy reading!**


	9. Recovery

**It's been a little while, I've been taking my time. Hopefully you'll enjoy this longer chapter that I've tried out. The last arc has already been planned out, I just need to write it out somehow.  
**

**I'd like to thank Ulyferal again for helping me with my story, giving me confidence and pointing out my errors. Without such help, I wouldn't be able to improve much. I hope I can make you proud!**

**Well then, enjoy~!  
**

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**Chapter Nine: Recovery**

The afternoon gave away to a bleak and slow day as Chance finally closed up the garage. His constant working had taken a toll on the tired tom as he got ready for the evening. All day, each moment, the thought of Jake kept pouring into his head, distracting him from working on the cars that lined the garage in need of repairs.

With the day finally over, Chance could finally focus his attention on his friend. Climbing down the ladder to the hanger, he winced, still feeling the many aches and sores that covered his body. Though the monitor never sounded off, he still went down on every opportunity to check on his buddy.

Walking over to the medical area, Chance saw Jake sleeping peacefully and purring in a relaxed rhythm. Taking a seat on the stool nearby, he carefully studied the smaller tom from foot to head. Jake was lying on his side, facing away from Chance. The bloody and burned back appeared to be healing well, much to Chance's relief, though Jake's continuing unconsciousness concerned him a bit.

'At least he's not in a coma and he's been moving around, so all those are good signs. Stop worrying yourself to death!' He berated himself.

Shaking off his burdensome thoughts, he stared with love and compassion over Jake's sleeping form. He was so grateful the love of his live was still alive, now if only he would awake once more so he could stare into those warm brown eyes and finally tell the tom how he felt. Reaching his arms up behind his head and stretching, his thoughts drifted to how much he wanted to hold Jake in his arms again

Hesitantly, Chance reached out toward that soft and warm body only to freeze partway in shocked surprise when he saw motion from the resting tom. Stirring in his sleep, Jake slowly rolled over, hissing a little at the pain the movement caused then sighing as he settled again, facing Chance. Still in his frozen position, Chance felt a rush of heat flood his face. Embarrassed, he lowered his arm and stared at Jake's peaceful sleeping face.

Sighing, Chance could see Jake was still going to stay asleep, so, not wanting to wake him, he headed back upstairs to the garage. Knowing Jake was on the mend had given Chance the lift he needed to raise his spirits. In a much better mood, he headed upstairs to the apartment to make dinner.

Jake would need a lot of calories to regain his strength and hasten his healing so a good protein laden meal was just the thing. He would make it up then put it in the fridge to heat when Jake woke up.

Their tiny apartment over the garage appeared tired and run down in the light of the lowering sun. However, inside, that same fading light shone warmly through the clean windows, revealing a tidy place with old but comfortable furniture in the living room, a tiny kitchen could be seen beyond the main area and beside that was a dark hallway leading to their shared bedroom and bath. It wasn't much but Jake had managed to make it look like a home. Chance especially liked the little patio Jake had made up on the small scrap of flat roof above the living room reached by a pull down ladder in the kitchen. He'd placed some lawn furniture and a table with an umbrella up there so they could enjoy the warm summer nights watching the stars.

Chance headed for the kitchen, pumped up and excited to make dinner. Though small, the kitchen was bright and had plenty of cupboards for storing stuff. The stove top had stuck on food stains and the oven was rarely used as the pair of toms didn't have much time to cook a fully prepared meal nor clean the kitchen very thoroughly. A wipe and a promise was mostly all they did when tidying up. They did, however, insure the garbage was dumped out and that any spills on the floor were wiped up immediately. They didn't want a smelly or foul place with bugs after all.

One thing they did get done was the dishes and they took turns doing those but the sink was full at the moment because Chance simply didn't have the time between working in the garage and taking care of Jake to get them done. He gave the sink a gimlet eye of disgust as he poked around for a clean set of dishware. He would really have to make time to wash dishes no matter how tired he was.

Normal chores did not include any regular cleaning of the apartment and, for the most part, the tiring days of working in the garage and saving the city didn't allow for much work to be done in their home. Not much living went on upstairs besides sleeping, eating and bathing.

Life for Chance and Jake were spent in the garage and hangar, as if their normal lives in an apartment were separated by their salvage yard duties, the garage that provided them a living, and their chosen duty as SWAT Kats. Jake did, however, try to keep a clean home for the both of them and Chance wondered at times how he found the energy to do it all.

Pondering what to make for dinner, Chance thought out loud, "Hmm, I bet something filling and warming would hit the spot. Good old meat and potato cream soup should do the trick!"

Gathering items from the refrigerator as well as from the tiny pantry, Chance began to prepare a filling soup. In a cheerful state of mind, he set to work making the best soup he could, pouring his heart into it, making it just right. Turning on the kitchen light as the sun finally set, Chance began to hum as he crafted his dinner creation.

Below him in the hangar medical room, the echoes of something stirring, skipped across and echoed along the walls. Slowly opening his eyes, Jake woke staring at the far cement wall across from the bed where he lay. It told him immediately where he was at the moment.

Moving slowly, he was relieved to be free of the severe pain he had been in earlier. It was more bearable though still not gone but considering what he'd gone through, not a surprise. Wincing as he carefully pushed himself into a seated position, he sat up and took stock of himself.

He noticed the bandages first, 'Chance did a good job doctoring me,' he mused. Looking around, he saw no sign of his partner. On a small table nearby, he spotted the monitor that allowed the tabby to hear him if need be. Jake didn't call out yet as he continued to wake up more and see how badly hurt he still was.

Slowly raising his arms above his head, he immediately felt the burns on his back pull and sting. He grimaced with pain but it wasn't too bad, he'd suffered worse before. At least he was alive.

Lowering his arms, he used a paw to rub his face of sleep and the dreams that had haunted him. Recalling those dreams now made him blush and feel scared about what they meant. Not able to reconcile how he felt about what those dreams had shown him, Jake felt a strong desire to go see Chance.

Placing his feet carefully on the cold floor, he found to his pleased surprise that he could stand but could he walk? Once he had his balance and his head seemed clear of any dizziness, Jake began to put one foot before the other. To his pleased amazement, he found he could walk with only a little stiffness that wore off as he continued to move to the ladder leading up. The long hours of rest he'd had, seemed to have done the trick in regaining his strength. No infection reared its head and the soreness he felt on his back should be gone in another few days.

Sighing in relief, he could now focus on the troubling dreams as he made his way silently through the garage but froze before going up the stairs. The real world fell away and he was again seeing the garage as it had been in his dream. There again was Chance offering him all that he'd wished to have, the golden light surrounding them and the perfect home beckoning. A deep longing filled him to make that dream a reality.

He shook his head and the garage came back into focus as he let the dream images go. If he wanted what that dream promised then he had to do something about it rather than wish it were so. Determination goading him, his inner turmoil finally resolved, Jake headed up the stairs. He had something momentous to tell Chance and nothing was going to stop him now.

Chance was nowhere in sight but the scent of something wonderful struck his nose coming from the kitchen. Moving silently, Jake crossed the room and peered into the kitchen. Chance stood before the stove with an apron on and stirring something in a pot on the stove. It was rare to see the tabby cooking and Jake couldn't help but snicker at the image before him.

Seeing his buddy in a good mood and actually pleased to be making a meal, Jake slipped into the room and easily snuck up behind his best friend. Chance never heard him, too focused on his task.

"Mmhhmm, what's cooking Chance?" Jake purred in the tabby's ear.

A startled shiver raced down Chance's spine making his fur stand on end. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. Dropping the spoon in the pot, he whirled around to stare in shocked surprise at the sight of his friend on his feet and smirking at him.

"Jake! What are you doing up! You should have called me!" He scolded, fright making his voice sharper than he'd intended.

"Easy, Chance, I'm okay, a little stiff and sore but feeling much better. Seems like you're cooking up something mighty tasty there," Jake soothed him, moving closer to peer into the pot.

"Uh, well, I knew you'd need something heavy on the proteins to get your strength back so I'm making my famous meat and potato cream soup. It's almost done. But you shouldn't be walking around so much yet. Go to your bed and I'll bring a bowl to you," Chance said worriedly.

"Hope it's better than the last time you cooked. That was a disaster," Jake couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hah hah! Real funny, buddy. Quit being such a smart-ass! Let's get you in bed, " Chance growled, gently pushing Jake toward the bedroom. Turning into the room, he got the tom into his bed, pulled the covers up then turned on the TV. "Now you stay there and I'll be right back as soon as the food's done," he said firmly, turning to leave.

Calling to the retreating back, Jake said, "Thanks for taking care of me, Chance." An earnest look of gratitude shining from his eyes.

Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Chance smiled warmly and said, "You're welcome, Jake." Then he continued on his way back to the kitchen feeling thrilled, happy, and relieved that his friend was going to be okay.

In the kitchen, he sighed as he fished the spoon out of the soup and cleaned it off. He went back to the soup and began to add other things to it, enriching the flavor more. The soup was bubbling merrily and smelled wonderful. It hadn't burned while he was out of the room, for which he was very grateful.

While he was busy, Chance's mind went back to the subject upper most in his mind, that of telling Jake how he truly felt about him and his faltering belief in remaining a SWAT Kat. He still hadn't really figured out a good way to tell his friend but he needed to do it soon or it would just continue to eat at him.

Meanwhile in the bedroom, Jake's eyes wandered restlessly around their shared quarters. The room was just big enough for the two of them, with two beds, dressers and desk. Over on one of the dressers was an old TV. Scattered around the floor was Chance's discarded clothes and comics that didn't make it to the shelf over his head board. He smiled to himself as his mind's eye brought images of the tabby lying on his back on the bed reading his comics and laughing or watching TV until he fell asleep.

The big tabby had always been a messy Kat but Jake didn't mind much. On his side of the room were models of jets and planes hanging on strings from the ceiling, a tiny desk was tucked next to his dresser and was covered with blueprints and notebooks, on the floor were balls of crumpled paper that hadn't made it into the already filled trash can nearby. Some of Jake's greatest weapon's designs and ideas originated in their bedroom as Jake daydreamed looking out of the window thinking of ways to improve the Turbokat and its weapons.

As he lay there in bed, his mind went back to how he was going to tell Chance about his feelings. He needed to muster his courage and confront his dear friend but words escaped him as to how he would do it. Trying to clear his mind, Jake reached over to the nightstand that sat between their beds and picked up the remote.

Turning on the TV he flicked to a certain channel and began to watch the David Litterbin Show. The elevated humor from the show caused Jake to laugh, allowing his worries to melt away. He never understood why Chance could never get any of the jokes and was so delinquent for watching cartoons still, but that was what made his friend so quirky.

In the kitchen, Chance put his last touches on his well-made meat and potato cream soup. He spent so many hours richening the taste and he was proud of his creation. Although he was still concerned for Jake's condition, he couldn't help but be happy to see him up and moving around already.

And though his thoughts were still filled with how he was going to bring up the subject of his feelings, for now, he'd focus on just getting his friend healthy and well again and that began with this amazing dinner he'd made. Scooping up the soup with a wooden ladle, Chance poured the soup into two large bowls, one for Jake and one for him. He grabbed two spoons and placed them in the full bowls then grabbed two glasses and filled them with milk. Using an old tray they kept around, he placed the bowls and glasses on it then carried it off to the bedroom.

"Dinner's ready, time to eat up!" Chance sang out happily as he set the tray down in front of Jake then taking his own bowl and milk off it to sit down beside his friend on the bed.

"Smells great Chance, hope it tastes good too," Jake smirked, reaching for the spoon to take a sip of the hot soup.

"Of course it will taste good, after all I worked my ass off making it," Chance snorted in mock insult. "Eat up buddy, you're going to need it," he said more solicitously, giving Jake a pat on the back.

Jake hissed, nearly spitting the soup back out. "Ouch, Chance. Watch it, I'm still sore." He shifted his shoulders and winced but gave Chance a forgiving smile to show he wasn't angry.

Chance blushed hotly at his stupidity and murmured in embarrassment, "Ahh, I'm sorry buddy, I forgot."

"It's alright. Wow! This is great soup. Thanks, Chance, I wouldn't know what to do without you," Jake said sincerely, turning away from the embarrassing moment.

"That's what friends and partners are for buddy. Now you better start eating before your soup gets cold. Don't blame me if it tastes bad by then."

"Well I'm trying to but it's still a bit hot," Jake snorted and lifted another spoonful up and blew on it before gulping it down, making sounds of pleasure at the delicious taste of cream which soothed his dry throat.

Smiling at the sight of his friend enjoying the soup, Chance relaxed and ate his own, finding he was ravenous. The two of them ate with gusto as they watched TV. Chance surprised Jake by actually showing enjoyment at watching Litterbin, laughing along with him at each witty joke and punch line.

Although yesterday had been filled with turmoil and pain, today was full of relief and happiness as well as uncertainly. Just the act of watching and eating together had eased their minds and allowed them to let go for just a little longer, those plaguing thoughts and feelings they both had. Enjoying each other's company was all that occupied them as the evening progressed. But underneath the shared comradery, the tension began to build as things unsaid and desires unfulfilled began to rise between them. It was only a matter of time before one or the other broke the stalemate.

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**How was that take with a longer chapter length? Hope you liked it! **

**Things are heating up for Chance and Jake, look forward to the next remaining chapters! **

***Brenton*  
**


	10. Speaking of Love

**Nothing like a revealing chapter to coincide with the 4th of July, Happy Independence Day! Fireworks going off now as I'm finishing this up and about to post it.  
**

**I admit that this was a difficult chapter for me and I'd like to thank Ulyferal for helping me again. As my story continues further, it's starting to get harder and harder to write out such thoughts and scenes for me. I guess I'm a bit nervous or something, but I've got to push through and do it! **

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter as our beloved Chance and Jake confront each other finally!~  
**

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**Chapter 10: Speaking of Love****  
**

Evening had truly settled in as the TV host David Litterbin signed off for the night. Chance and Jake had finished their soup earlier, setting them on the tray which the tabby had set on the floor to take to the kitchen later.

With the show over, both toms were full and in good spirits after laughing throughout the show. Since it was getting late, Jake pushed the bedding off and carefully got to his feet to use the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, heading back to his bed.

Chance reached out a paw and stopped him, gently tugging on Jake's paw to make him sit beside him on his bed.

"Jake…don't go to bed yet. I need to have a word with you," Chance murmured softly.

Surprised, Jake gave his friend an odd look but settled on the bed and waited. "What's the matter, Chance?"

"First, let me say, I'm really relieved and grateful you are okay. But I'm really tired of the risks you keep taking...it needs to stop...we're a team and should take on the danger together," he said sternly, holding a paw up to forestall a protest by Jake.

"I know what you're going to say, yes there are times when we have to separate but I feel you are taking too much risk when you do it. You know more than once you only had to check things out, but wait for me before engaging in the enemy. Our odds of taking out the bad guy and coming up less injured would happen if you did that. What happened with Dark Kat is a case in point. If you'd just waited until I could have joined you, we could have watched each other's back and, maybe, taken out Dark Kat. All that ended up happening is me having to rescue you and Dark Kat getting away. One of the worst ops we've ever done and all because you had to show boat."

"What are you talking about? There was no way we both could go after him! Like you said, we've split up numerous times and did what we had to protect this city. You've gone off on your own plenty of times, hot shot, because you wanted to play hero and save the day," Jake objected, getting angry.

"You don't get it do you sure-shot? I'm talking about how you keep on pulling off the single hero split up shit and it's not always because you have to. You've done it more often without a thought, lately! Aren't we in this together?" Chance spit out.

"Of course we are, Chance. But you're wrong, I don't' just go off without thinking. Too often I have to do what's necessary because only one of us can be mobile and that's always been me!"

"NO! Stop that bullshit! You don't always have to throw yourself into danger like that! You should have thought of new ways for us to fight as a team rather than this business of constantly separating!" Chance barked angrily.

Jake was shocked by Chance's passionate and angry demeanor. Something more was going on here for his best friend to become so upset by their usual fighting style. He stared at Chance in confusion and feeling a little hurt.

Huffing out the anger that had sprung up within him, Chance tried to take a more reasonable stance especially after he saw the hurt and confusion in his friend's eyes. "You don't have to go out alone and risk your life all the time. I'm here...let me take the brunt of the danger...that's what I've trained for. We're a team! We're the SWAT Kats! That means not fighting lone battles!"

"Chance…" Jake exclaimed, staring at his friend who appeared about to cry.

"I just…I just don't want to lose you…Jake. I can't see you go out alone in danger anymore. I'm nothing without you, buddy," Chance moaned, trying desperately to hold back the tears but they began to drip hotly down his face despite his efforts. Embarrassed, Chance turned away to hide his face.

Not having seen Chance this upset before, Jake worriedly moved closer and gently began to rub the tabby's back in soothing circles.

"Chance…I didn't know you felt that way...I'm sorry," Jake murmured apologetically.

"You mean a lot to me, Jake. I was so scared when I saw you hurt like that. It kills me to see you like that. The fear of losing you is more painful than anything a bad guy could dish out to me," Chance admitted, voice choked.

Still overcome with emotions and needing a release of some kind, Chance turned and hugged the smaller tom to him, rubbing his face against Jake's shoulder leaving wet tears in the other's fur. He held on tight, trying desperately to ease all the emotions choking him at the moment. Just holding his friend close again made him feel so much better and calmer.

The sudden and surprising hug from Chance took Jake off guard. He'd never expected Chance to ever hug him like this, but he couldn't deny the warmth he felt from the close embrace was so wonderful and felt oddly familiar. It felt exactly like that safe and warm feeling he'd experienced when he was falling through the sky. Struck by the memory, Jake realized that protective and warm feeling had been the safe embrace of his friend.

Hesitantly at first then with more enthusiasm, Jake returned the hug, wrapping his arms around the big torso and nuzzling the tom's face in return. It felt so good. For a long time neither could let go, finding peace and something more in the warm comfort of each other's arms.

Taking a deep sigh, Jake released his friend slowly, gently pushing against Chance's chest to make him release him. Chance seemed upset by that but Jake quickly took the tabby's paw in his own then looked into the unhappy eyes staring questioningly into his.

It was time to put an end to all the emotions he could feel spilling around him and say his piece at last.

"Chance…when I was out cold I had this wonderful dream. It offered me something I've wanted for a very long time but thought could never happen. It...It was something I've wanted to say to you but was afraid to. After all that's happened, I find I can't keep this to myself any longer."

"What would that be, Jake?" Chance asked, a puzzled and worried look on his face.

Jake swallowed hard, felt butterflies in his stomach, shivers of nervous tension raced down his spine but he grabbed his courage in his two paws and stared into his friend's concerned face and tried to explain. "I've always had special...feelings...for you Chance but we we're partners both in the Enforcers and as the SWAT Kats and I thought these feelings would cause trouble, so I set them aside keeping them in the world of wishful thinking. But in that dream, all my wishes came true and I saw how happy I could be if I just reached out and took them."

Chance blinked, his paw gripped the one Jake was holding, a suspicion rising in his mind. "What are you trying to say, Jake?" He asked in a hopeful whisper.

"Chance…I'm gay…and I love you…" Jake managed to blurt out, closing his eyes at the last minute and looking down, fearful of the response.

The room went still. Jake's heart skipped a beat as the silence drew out and Chance still said nothing. He was so afraid his friend would reject him but the tabby still clung to his paw and didn't move. Not daring to move, Jake was afraid to look at Chance to see what expression was there, so in terror and anticipation, he continued to wait.

Chance's breath froze in his lungs. All this time Jake had been harboring these feelings for him but he never saw it. He hadn't really considered himself gay so he couldn't reconcile his feelings of need and desire for his best friend.

But that moment in the air, as he hugged his partner so tightly to his chest and later as he cared for Jake's injuries, he realized that he did care for Jake not as just a friend but as a possible lover. And here it was just like in his own dream, Jake admitting his feelings for him making his decision to tell the tom how he truly felt in reality...but instead of shouting his joy...all he could do was sit there in shock.

Unable to find the words to show how much Jake meant to him, Chance took the direct route which had always served him well. He released Jake's paw and before his friend could release a moan of disappointment and anguish, the tabby raised his paw to Jake's neck, pulling him closer. Using his other paw he tenderly guided the tom's face to his and melded a passionate kiss on his mouth just as he'd done in his dream.

Shock and joy sang through Jake's body as he melted into the kiss, returning it with as much ardor as his partner was giving.

Their arms wrapped around each other and hugged tightly, meanwhile their mouths explored and tongues dueled. All the stresses, wants, and desires denied fell away as they continued to kiss, each kiss expressing their love and passion for each other more than anything else could.

This went on for some time until they needed to part to catch their breath. Jake pulled back and eyed his friend questioningly. Yes, he wanted this will all his heart but wasn't his partner straight? He put all his doubts in his eyes as he stared into his friend's beautiful emerald ones.

"Chance, though this is everything I want, I'm not sure it's what you truly want. You've always chased after females, what's changed?" Jake asked questioning Chance's sexuality, concerned this could end really badly. Their friendship and being the SWAT Kats could be destroyed by this if Chance wasn't serious.

"Yeah, well that's what I thought too and if you'd asked me when we first got together you'd be right. But...Jake there's just something about you. I want to be with you. I know it in my very heart and it's only gotten stronger the longer we've been together," Chance said sincerely.

"I don't get it Chance. What has changed? You're always flirting with Callie. You can't suddenly just be gay. You're just confused and I don't want to make you do something you wouldn't want to do just to make me happy…" Jake couldn't finish. He needed Chance to be certain of his true feelings. No way did he want the tabby to feel he had to do this just because Jake wanted it so badly.

"Everything I do with you is what I WANT to do. That kiss was me telling you that in the best way I could. I admit I wasn't certain for a long time. I was confused about why I was feeling the way I did about you until that moment when you fell from Dark Kat's ship. When I caught you and carried you to safety, I felt such a strong feeling for you and the need to protect you. It just felt so good to be holding you and I've never felt that way about anyone else before. Only you make me feel that way," Chance said strongly, no longer confused or divided.

Jake stared at him, wanting to believe his sincerity, needing to know if his dreams were about to become true. "Chance, what are you feeling for me now...this minute?"

Staring into those anxious eyes, Chance said the only thing he could...the only thing he truly felt about the tom looking at him.

"I love you and I will always want to be with you. I didn't know just how much I cared for you until today. There will never be anyone else but you. What made it even better was you feeling the same way." Fresh tears began to fall from his eyes, showing how much this affected him.

Jake felt a weight fall from his shoulders and his smile was tremulous as he reached for Chance's face with both his paws and gently wiped the tabby's tears away as he said, "I love you Chance Furlong. I trust you with my heart, my soul, as I already do my life. I want to share my life with you and I'm sorry I didn't have the courage until now to tell you that," he murmured lovingly then kissed those trembling lips to seal his words.

When he pulled back a moment later, he saw Chance's eyes shine with joy and relief. "I should be the one apologizing, Jake. I kept you waiting a long time and hurt you by flirting and talking on with all those she-kats, forgetting that you're the most important thing that matters in my life. No more. We're together now and no one will separate us but death," he murmured firmly. He wanted to kiss Jake back but the smaller tom held him back with a gentle paw.

"This could cause some problems in our chosen career path, buddy," Jake warned softly.

Giving his soon to be lover a warm smile, Chance said, "We'll handle it as it comes, Jake. Trust me and the love we have together to keep us safe."

After disposing of the last obstacle between them, Chance took Jake firmly in his arms and began kissing him passionately. The time for talking was done...time for sealing their bond.

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**Such a warm feeling, finally Chance and Jake have finally revealed their feelings for one another. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please rate, review, comment and let me know what you liked or didn't liked. Love is about to soar in the skies! Look forward to it!  
**

***Brenton*  
**


	11. Intimate Bonding

**Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait. This has been the most difficult chapter for me to write so far and I've been very nervous about it. I have never written anything as detailed and as far as where this goes. I had my quarrels with this chapter but I've done it even after pushing and pushing myself to just do it. Hopefully after this experience, I'll be able to write such material with more ease than with this one.**

**I'd like to give a warm and sincere thanks and appreciation to Ulyferal again for helping me out on this very difficult scene. Ulyferal's experience in such writing greatly helped make this chapter better than I could even imagine and truly brought out what I wished and envisioned happening.**

**Anyways it's time for Chance and Jake to bond. Just giving a little warning since this is a Chance/Jake pairing and this section does contain slash and very strong sexual content. _Please read at your own discretion_. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 11: Intimate Bonding**

As the new lovers explored each other, the moonlight poured in covering them like a cool blanket of soft light. The cooling air coming from the window kept them from overheating as they set their world on fire.

Chance's head spun from all the hot kissing action and his body was hard and needy from all the wonderful intimate touches from Jake. He was so ready to move to the next exciting step that he pulled gently from the kiss, giving Jake a nuzzle and a lick on the nose.

"Jake, I can't wait any longer or I'm going to explode...take me love!" He breathed hotly into his new lover's ear.

"Are you sure love?" Jake murmured, eyeing Chance carefully.

"Can't you feel my need for you? I want you Jake." The tabby panted, proving his point by rubbing his pants-covered pole against the smaller tom's thigh insistently.

Jake gave him hot eyes and nodded. "Well, then I shouldn't keep you in suspense any longer. Let me get something from my dresser," he said, giving Chance a quick kiss then sliding off the bed to go to his dresser and pawed through it until he found the tube he was looking for. Smiling he returned to Chance's side, laying the tube on the night stand until needed.

Grinning back, Chance quickly began to take his clothes off. Just as eager, Jake did the same and that was when the tabby was reminded of what his friend had just gone through by the sight of the bandages around the tom's torso.

He eyed Jake worriedly and asked hesitantly, "Are you sure you're healed enough to do this now, Jake? I won't be hurt if we have to wait until you're better."

The smaller tom gave him a warm look. "I'm fine...really. I've been feeling better and better now since we've got our clothes off," he promised amusingly.

Chance was relieved as he didn't think he could really hold back now. Suddenly, shyness came over them both now that they were both naked. Neither had seen the other so bare and naked up closely as they examined each other.

Reaching out, Jake slowly caressed his friend's well built chest, admiring the hard muscles there. Chance sighed at the touch and shivered with pleasure. He returned the favor by gently caressing Jake's arms and his upper chest above the bandages.

"My, you are ready, aren't you?" Jake smirked, staring down at Chance's very prominent erection that stuck up between their seated bodies.

"And so are you," Chance grinned, giddily, seeing Jake's equally hard member which wasn't as big around as his own but was nice and long, wet at its tip. Intrigued and wanting to try something he'd only heard about, he leaned over suddenly and licked the top of Jake's member.

Jake's eyes widened and he gasped.

Chance rose up quickly and asked worriedly, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh no, you're doing really well, trust me!" Jake said, a grin on his face, pleased his friend was willing to try something he'd never done before.

"Oh good because you taste good," Chance said, hungrily, leaning down again to taste Jake more thoroughly.

Jake gasped again and nearly dug his claws into Chances shoulders as incredible waves of pleasure roared through him but if he let him continue, he wouldn't last long so he gently pulled on his friend's ear.

Confused, Chance stopped what he was doing to raise up and stare into Jake's eyes questioningly.

Jake gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, buddy. I just didn't want to come yet. Come here and we'll do something else first as I want to get you really loose and hot," he murmured, drawing Chance down with him onto the bed then began a maddening series of kisses, caresses and touches that drove the tabby crazy.

Their bodies writhed together, their cocks rubbing against each other setting up a wonderful friction that drove them higher and higher until they both came together. Their bodies trembled from the incredible endorphins, their heart drumming and their breaths panting as they clung to each other.

When they'd recovered, Jake began to tease Chance by grasping his still partially hard erection and stroked it up and down making the big tabby's eyes glaze over with pleasure. He leaned forward and captured Chance's mouth and plundered it, dueling their tongues sending even more sparks of heat through them.

"God! Jake that feels so incredible. I've never felt like this before," Chance gasped, when they paused to catch a breath.

"Just wait till we get to the more heavier stuff, you'll be flying without the jet," Jake promised.

"Sounds fantastic."

"Oh it will be. You're still okay with me doing you?" Jake asked, pausing a moment to be sure Chance was still willing.

"Oh, yes. By what you've done already, I know you'll be good to me since I've never done this before," Chance assured him.

"By the time I finish teaching you what I know, you'll be a pro at it," Jake promised, grinning.

Thinking it was time to get more serious, he rose up and pushed Chance to his back. Smiling wickedly down at his friend, he moved to give Chance's erection a closer look. It was nice, big, and fat...perfectly delectable and he couldn't wait to have it inside him but right now it was Chance's time to learn what it was like to be with a male and he wanted to make sure it was perfect.

After giving the already leaking cock a few licks, he surprised Chance by taking it completely into his mouth and sucking.

Chance's eyes widened and he howled with shocked delight at the wonderful sensation of that hot mouth surrounding him.

Jake rolled his eyes up to give Chance a wicked grin as he suddenly hummed.

"Ooooohhhh..." was all the tabby could say as his body thrummed with hot need.

Pleased by his handiwork, Jake gave the hot cock in his mouth another hard suck while one of the fingers of his left paw cupped and rolled the heavy ballsack in his palm. When the sack began to retract, he distanced himself and lifted his mouth away.

Chance groaned at the loss. "Time for the big event, buddy. Are you ready?" Jake asked, hotly.

"Oh yes...take me...I'm ready," Chance panted.

"Okay, then I want you to go on your paws and knees. For a first time that position is easier and less painful. There is some preparing to do too," Jake instructed him.

Excited, Chance assumed the position on his paws and knees, raising his tail over his back and wiggling his rear invitingly.

Jake laughed at the wanton picture Chance made. He leaned over toward the night stand and grabbed the tube of lube. "Now, I want you to relax your sphincter muscles as best you can, love. I promise I won't hurt you."

Chance was nervous but never let on as he did what Jake asked then gasped as he felt a lubed finger insert itself into his channel. It felt really strange but didn't hurt as he felt Jake press inward and work his finger around for a few minutes then added another finger. He still felt alright and a gentle tingling was starting to grow from the strange action. When Jake added a third finger, he winced and tightened up.

"Easy, love...it will feel good really soon," Jake cooed softly, reaching under his partner and grasping the erection that had gone a little soft and began a rhythmic stroking to go with his gentle thrusting of his fingers into the tom's channel.

Chance trusted Jake and did his best to relax and enjoy what his new lover was doing. It helped that the smaller tom was jacking him too, since that kept him hot and needy and better able to deal with the oddness at his channel. Then suddenly, he jerked and groaned loudly as Jake touched the gland inside.

"Wow! What did you do?" Chance panted and gasped when Jake did it again.

"I massaged your prostate gland. It's the center of all the pleasure inside your body. Feels good doesn't it?"

"Oh God! Does it ever!"

"Okay, now I'm going to replace my fingers with me. I'll go slow but it will make you feel fuller and only a little painful. Make sure you let me know if it hurts too much and we'll slow down. Ready?"

"Yes!"

Jake lubed his tool then settled himself at his friend's entrance and gently pressed inward until he passed the ring of muscles at the entrance. Chance hissed and tightened at first causing Jake to halt until his lover was able to relax again. While he was doing this, his paw kept hold of the tabby's erection to keep him hot and hard.

It took more than ten minutes of pushing and withdrawing but eventually all of Jake was inside of Chance. He laid over Chance's back and kissed the tom's neck.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked softly.

"Uhhh, yeah, feels strange but nice...I'm good!" Chance panted.

His whole body tingled and it was the greatest sensation in the world to him to feel this close to his love. Nothing could be better than this but he was wrong. Jake began to move inside him and he felt sparks going off in his brain.

Groans and loud moans filled the room as Jake moved faster and faster, driving himself deeper and deeper as Chance loosened up and accepted him more easily. The world fell away as their pleasure went higher and higher. Jake hit the hidden gland over and over making Chance cry out with joy and excitement, squeezing Jake hard.

Jake might have said Chance would feel like he was flying but he realized so too was he and it just got better and better as they closed in on a truly mega orgasm.

Chance was shuddering under the assault, his cock harder than steel with the world dissolved like the Fourth of July as fireworks went off in his head when he came hard, roaring his pleasure which was echoed by Jake as Chance's inner muscles clamped down on him as Jake poured his seed into his partner.

Waves of pleasure poured through them as their bodies shuddered together before they finally went limp, Chance collapsing onto his stomach with Jake slumped over his back.

Nothing was heard for a time but their heavy breathing. When he was soft enough, Jake withdrew...Chance moaning the loss. He smiled warmly at the reaction but knew Chance would be sore after this first time.

Exhausted, they curled up together and took a nap. It wasn't until nearly two in the morning when Chance woke feeling incredibly energized and hard. Lying warmly against his side was Jake. Smiling with joy and happiness, he leaned over and kissed the sleeping face.

Jake woke, opening one sleepy eye to stare at his friend. Smiling slowly as he noticed the erection between Chance's legs, he drawled slowly, "Seems someone is ready for more action."

"Only if you're up to it, my love," Chance murmured.

The smaller tom's smile stretched to a wide grin. "Are you kidding? I can't wait to have you taking me this time."

Chance sat up eagerly, "Seriously?"

"Oh yes. Let's get hot and bothered again then it's your turn," Jake said, firmly.

For the next half hour they played and rubbed against each other until they were too hot to stand waiting any longer.

"Hope you're ready for one hell of a ride," Chance grunted, lubing his member.

His heart pounding wildly and body shaking in excitement, Jake began to prepare himself as he grabbed some lube and prepared himself to take such a large cock. He was used to big ones so not too much prepping was needed.

"How do you want to do this that will spare your ribs?" Chance asked.

"Lay on your back," Jake panted. Chance did as he was asked and waited.

Jake climbed up onto his partner's lap until he was crouched over Chance's hard staff, glistening and ready for him. Taking a deep breath, he slowly lowered himself. At first, he hissed as the huge mushroom head slowly penetrated him but that passed quickly and he let himself lower inch by inch.

A loud gasp announced how much Chance was enjoying what Jake was doing. The hard part done, Jake still had many more inches to go before Chance's member would be fully inside him. As he took each inch, his hole began to slowly stretch and get used to the large cock.

But finally, the last inch was in and both tom's groaned in pleasure at their full joining. Chance couldn't believe how that hot warmth felt surrounding him. It was much tighter than any she-kat he'd been in.

Jake, meanwhile was in heaven. He missed being taken by someone of Chance's size and was loving it. His whole body tinkled with fire as he began to move slowly up and down. He placed his palms on the tom's chest to hold himself steady.

"Wow! Chance you feel so good and huge inside me! I love it!" He moaned, happily.

Chance was overjoyed that he was able to please Jake. It made him feel more certain than ever that they were made for each other.

"Get ready, buddy...time for me to show you what you've been missing!" Jake announced as he began to lift his hips up and down, driving Chance's cock hard inside him, over and over again.

Chance growled and moaned as Jake drove them toward another mind blowing orgasm. Just before the end came, Jake leaned over and urgently kissed Chance. As their hearts and eyes stared into each other, love shone strongly as their orgasm crashed over them bonding them for all time.

As the flashes of pleasure continued to roll through them, their bodies twitched and shuddered until it finally ended and Jake collapsed onto Chance's broad chest, sweat soaked and totally out of breath.

When they recovered slightly, Jake was able to pull free of the softening cock. Chance lifted his lover tenderly off him and laid him beside his body then rolled until they spooned, him at Jake's back.

As he kissed and caressed the smaller tom's neck, he murmured, "That was the most fantastic thing I've ever done in my life. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Chance. I was just thinking...if only we'd known how much we wanted each other we could have been having sex on all those long, boring, tedious days and nights," Jake sighed, wistfully.

Chance chuckled. "Yeah, you're right about that but at least we know what we're doing from now on."

"Heheheh! Yeah, making out like the energizer bunny," Jake snickered.

"Sounds like a plan, buddy," Chance laughed, nipping his lover then licking it.

Jake moaned. "Oh Chance, I love you so!"

"And I love you forever, Jake," Chance whispered.

Both toms began to drift asleep after their rigorous love session. Though very tired, Jake couldn't quite fall asleep yet. As he listened to his lover's deepening breaths that signaled he was already asleep, Jake began worrying how their new situation would affect them as the SWAT Kats.

Chance's over-protective nature could endanger them at any time but try as he might, Jake couldn't regret what they'd done. He sighed mentally and let his troubled thoughts go for now. Whatever came their way as they continued this path, he felt certain their new found love would sustain and protect them. He refused to consider anything else after finally getting all he'd ever dreamed and hoped for. Chance was his for all time and that was all that matter.

That settled, Jake finally allowed sleep to take him. As they slept wrapped in each other's arms, the new lovers felt nothing but love and warmth surrounding them that they would fight and die for to keep.

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**What an amazing love to behold! I hope the wait was worth it. Seems like there's still some lingering thoughts on this new found love between our heroes. Only time will tell what will come. Please look forward to the continuation of Chance and Jake's love and the future in store for them. Just a little bit further and this beginning story will come to a conclusion. Till then, enjoy the nearing completion of my first story with more to follow. **

**Please rate, comment, and review to your liking. Any comments and critiques are greatly appreciated! Feel free to message me as well if you have any questions or would just like to chat with me :D.  
**

***Brenton***

**Note: For updates, check my profile page. There you can see the status of stories and my notes in the process of writing them.  
**


	12. Afterglow

**It's been a while, but I'm still kicking! The last arc of the story has begun. Enjoy~!**

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**Chapter 12: Afterglow**

After their night together, Chance and Jake's lives completely changed in a sudden twist of happiness and awkwardness. As quickly as they discovered their long hidden feelings of love and compassion did their home lives change as well. No longer did they sleep in separate beds, nor kept to themselves. With beds pulled up together, Chance and Jake slept the passing days and nights of their blossoming relationship sharing intimate moments of love. Over and over again they shared such sensual feelings of love and pleasure with one another. Not much was spoken between the two, as if their love was known all along and neither had to say a word to understand the other. It indeed was a time of peace and happiness for Chance and Jake as they no longer saw each other as friends, but as lovers.

Every day, Chance would greet Jake with a kiss in the morning and would remind his buddy how much he loved him. And in return, Jake would kiss him back and reassure him of his continuing love. The days that both kats worked were even filled with much happiness even underneath all the hard and toiling work. They no longer yelled and felt cursed at their jobs in the salvage yard and instead felt proud and happy to be able to work and live together. For Chance, it was difficult to keep his eye off Jake as he worked on cars or even the Turbokat. But in similar fashion, Jake could hardly focus enough on making new gadgets and was thinking too often of Chance. In any case, both of them could only wish for peace to last a long while so they could have time together. Yet with danger lurking in Megakat City, their peace would only last as long as the villains decided.

A mere week passed by quickly as Chance and Jake spent as much time with one another. In that time, Jake's injuries healed up very well and he was feeling better than usual, partially due to Chance's care and love. Besides finishing up their jobs working on cars, both had managed to take care of maintenance on the Turbokat. Usually after taking care of such technical matters would Chance and Jake train to stay physically fit, but both decided to take it easy to not only allow Jake to recuperate faster but to also have the chance to spend time with each other more. Even though Jake showed concerned for the laidback manner in which both he and Chance were putting SWAT Kat training and responsibilities aside for the moment, he couldn't help to bask in the afterglow of their beginning relationship as lovers.

With the weekend approaching, Chance decided to see whether Jake would go out with him on an impromptu date. Neither of them went out much but with their lives changing in front of their eyes, Chance wanted to get closer to Jake as the lovers they now were. Friday evening was indeed an anxious one for Chance as he prepared to talk to Jake. Never having asked someone out like Jake, Chance didn't know what to expect but wanted to get his point across. As he headed to the bedroom after closing up the garage to speak with Jake, his heart pounded uncontrollably. Peering into the bedroom, he noticed Jake writing at his desk near the open window as the remainder of the sun's glowing light poured into the room.

Hanging in the doorway and leaning against the side of the door, Chance interrupted Jake's thought.

"Hey Jake, what are you up to?" Chance slyly asked.

"Chance, it's good to see you. I'm not up to much. Just was writing some ideas down." Scurrying to put his papers away, Jake answered.

"Thought we agreed to take a little break? You couldn't help but sneak some inventing time in?" Grinning but a little disappointed, Chance shook his head in disapproval.

"I know, Chance. But I can't help myself sometimes you know. My head's wired to spurt out ideas all the time. Hard to shut it down by myself." Apprehensive yet apologetic, Jake explained himself.

"It's alright, love. Guess I'll have to lend a paw to help get your mind off such things." Chance moved from the doorway towards Jake. He stood behind Jake's chair and wrapped his arms around his love.

"That's one way to solve it. You know how to get to me don't you, Chance?" Placing one of his paws on Chance's arm, Jake braced himself as he closed his eyes and raised his face up to meet with Chance's for a sensual and loving kiss.

Chance moved towards the bed and sat down while Jake turned his chair around to face Chance. Their eyes met showing their deep love for one another. With each moment that was passing, the sun lazily kept going down.

"Well, now that I've got your attention, I wanted to ask you something Jake." With a nervous and uneasy look, Chance contemplated how he would ask Jake out.

"What is it, Chance?" Jake looked calmly wondering what Chance was up to.

"Now that we're together and all…I was thinking why don't we go out together on Saturday? We've finished all the work and since we're taking a little break from the hero business, why don't we mix things up and have a hell of a time together?" Blushing but beaming with confidence, Chance offered his thoughts to Jake.

Thinking about it, Jake realized that neither he nor Chance had been out together in quite a long while, just as friends and partners. Both had been cooped up at home with responsibilities that neither of them had gone out to do something simple as going out and hanging out or seeing a movie together. Now that they were beginning to be closer together than before, Jake wanted to be with Chance and jumped at the idea of going out together.

"Chance, I'd love to. We haven't been out together in ages. It would be nice to be with you and have a good time." Jake admitted.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you have fun in years. You need this more than I do, but I'm glad to finally kick you out of the house to do something." Chance jokingly said.

"You're full of fun, Chance. You still act like a kitten playing video games and reading comic books." Chuckling, Jake thought how Chance was still a bit immature in his eyes.

"Hey, that's low. Plenty of adult kats do that still." Chance's face was filled with frustration.

"Calm down, big guy. I was just messing with you. Wish I could be as loose as you were. That's why I'm glad to go out with you, time for something different." Jake smiled.

"Good to hear, buddy. You've got to live life sometimes you know. So, let me handle things for tomorrow then, it'll be my treat." Smiling back at Jake, Chance gave a motion with his arm signaling his success in getting Jake to go out with him.

"All right. Now with that settled, how about we spend some quality time now in the bed?" Jake smirked.

"I was waiting to see whether I'd have to wait till after dinner. Guess we're having dessert first tonight."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Jake softly spoke as he got off his chair and approached the bed.

Both loving toms headed underneath the covers of the bed, taking off all of their clothes. Lying there together, both cuddled up and felt the warmth of the other as they held each other. Sharing luscious kisses across each other's faces, Chance and Jake slowly indulged in softly feeling each other's lips as their mouths crossed paths. Their breaths grew stronger as they grew needy for one another, sweating and moaning as they desired one another more and more. Ever since the first time they were intimate together, they couldn't help but fall deeper and deeper into love each time they explored and held each other. It was if all their bottled feelings had been released and they could not stop themselves from touching every inch of each other's body, from kissing each other's familiar face, and from sharing the pleasures that only lovers could share with one another, inside one another. As Chance and Jake moved under the sheets loving each other, the sun outside the window had set leaving no traces of its shining and protective glow as the night crept in ushering an icy breeze of uncertainty.

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"Jake, hurry up!" Chance yelled from downstairs.

"Alright already! I'm coming." Jake answered back from upstairs. He was putting on some cologne and the last finishing touches on his outfit. Taking his wallet from his nightstand, Jake rushed out of the bedroom door, around the hallway corner and ran down the steps towards the interior of the garage.

"You look handsome, Jake. Don't know why you had to take such a long time." Chance grinned as he eyed his buddy.

"Well, I was just trying to have myself presentable. And I wanted to look nice with you." Jake blushed.

"Hell, you would look fine with anything on. You don't have to dress up so much, love. But I have to say I haven't seen you like this in a long while." A bit shocked by Jake's overly formal attire, Chance tried to shake it off. He was wearing a red shirt and some blue jeans and was keeping it quite casual. Jake, on the other hand, wore a fancy blue dress shirt with a tan khaki dress pants. Although it was a bit intimidating for Chance, he thought it was just a quirky trait Jake had.

"I'll admit I can get carried away dressing formal and all. It was one of the reasons why I loved uniforms in the Enforcers. Well that and all the handsome toms of course." Jake chuckled.

"Anyways let's head out. I've got a whole day planned for us!" Excited, Chance ran out of the front door to the garage towards their towing truck and got in. He fired up the engines and waited for Jake.

"I wonder what's got him so started up. Oh well, it won't matter, at least I'll be with Chance." Jake pondered over what his day with Chance would be like as he looked up at the bright early afternoon sky.

As Jake got into the passenger side of the truck, Chance sneaked a small kiss on his cheek before they both buckled up. The Saturday afternoon winds were blowing nicely and the weather was fine with clear skies as Chance drove out of the salvage yard and headed towards Megakat City. For once, it seemed so peaceful for Chance and Jake to just drive out and enjoy the world just having the thought of being with the other.

Interrupting the calmness that had come over the both of them, Jake let out a quarrelling comment. "I wish we didn't have to go out with this clunky looking truck."

"It's not like we can show off this baby's Thunder Truck mode. At least it runs well." Chance answered.

"I know. We have to keep a low profile and all. It's just been too long since we've gone out normally. I'm too used to using our Turbokat and gadgets." Jake gave a concerned look.

"Well we're more than just SWAT Kats now, we're also lovers. We have to try being a couple too, but I guess that's going to take some time to get used to." Shrugging, Chance wondered if he and Jake could manage to pull off a "normal" day.

"You can say that again, Chance. Nothing's been _normal_ for us for a while." Jake agreed.

"Don't worry about it, Jake. I've got a great day planned for us today. Just sit back and relax, love." Reaching his right paw out towards Jake, Chance grabbed Jake's hand and held it tightly. Surprised to be holding hands with Chance in the truck, Jake let out a soft sigh and relaxed believing in what Chance said.

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The afternoon Chance had planned was filled with fun and amusement for both him and Jake. First, Chance took Jake to his favorite diner on the outskirts of the city and ordered their best and juiciest burger for the both of them. Unfortunately, Jake couldn't finish his burger but Chance was glad to finish it up for him. Both of them laughed at his appetite and enjoyed chatting outside for once and enjoying each other's company. Although other kats would only see them as good friends reminiscing about the past and passing jokes and enjoying laughs, only Chance and Jake could tell that they were closer than what they appeared to be. For now though, both Chance and Jake decided to keep things casual and not get into the details of everything. Even though they knew much about each other over the years, they still kept their share of intimate secrets and rarely mentioned their own families. Not wanting to push any issues, both of them agreed to slowly open up and get into such details of their lives eventually, but for now the two kats needed to get used to the fact that they were in love together. And despite that fact, both would still hide that love from the rest of the world. Afraid and unprepared to come out, Chance and Jake fought the temptations throughout the day of showing too much affection for one another. For Chance, he felt guilty for being uncomfortable and unsure about whether to come out or not, but for Jake, he felt the burn of hiding their love but understood Chance in any case. Such thoughts of their newfound and delicate relationship did not stop neither of them from enjoying each other on their first day out as lovers.

After lunch, Chance drove Jake to the inner parts of Megakat City. Their first stop was at the largest shopping mall in the city, which put a smile on Jake's face. The glass faces of the mall reflected the golden gleams of sunlight from above bringing a sense of warmth and glory around the place. This place had everything from electronics to clothing to the best food all in one place. So often called one of the marvels of Megakat City, neither Chance nor Jake would disagree the fun to be had within. With a bit of guilt, Chance wanted to splurge and treat Jake, so with much enthusiasm, both kats went on a little shopping spree. Severely lacking new clothes, Chance took Jake to the largest clothing department in the mall in order to update his buddy's wardrobe since he knew Jake took a liking to fashion. Jake's face gleamed with adoration as he hugged Chance and ran all over the store looking for the clothing for not only himself but for Chance. They spent so much time running around and trying on clothes that Chance didn't even feel bothered at all spending so much because he saw how happy Jake was. By the end of Jake's sporadic spree he and Chance had their hands full with bags filled with new clothing, from fancy dress clothes to casual and in-style clothes. Hours had passed and it was nearing six o'clock, something Chance hadn't planned to happen. But it didn't matter much to him, he was just happy to finally see Jake just relax and have fun without the worries and burdens of the city.

With their shopping done and the day nearly over, Chance and Jake left the mall with their baggage in tow as Chance drove out towards the inner city. The last stop of the day that Chance had planned was to pick up a special gift for Jake. Surprisingly, Jake didn't ask Chance where they were off to next. Sitting quietly in the passenger seat, Jake only looked at the road with a smile. Both sat quietly and felt calm underneath the fading glow of the setting sun. It was near sunset when Chance had finally reached his destination in his old neighborhood. Parking the truck near the curbside, Chance gave a small smirk as he looked at Jake's perplexed face. With just one look, Jake knew exactly where he and Chance were; the newsstand that Chance always goes to pick up his comics, "Pop's Newstand".

Stepping out of the car, Chance stretched. "Well here we are, Jake, the last stop of the day."

"Why are we here? Are you up to something?" Jake couldn't help but feel confused at what Chance was planning.

"Well, why don't you come and have a look?" Chance beckoned Jake.

As the two kats approached the newsstand, Chance could see Pop Perkins busy with another customer. A little calico kat was speaking with Pops and having a nice chat with him as she laughed and smiled. Seeing that sight brought back memories to Chance when he was younger like that kitten and spent hours chatting with Pops and buying the latest comic of Kat Kommandoes every week. It had been a while since he stopped visiting Pops Newstand. But a chance encounter with Pops again during a routine outing with Jake as they were towing a car through his old neighborhood helped push Chance back into his comic book habit and back into seeing Pops again regularly. For some reason or another, Chance's past kept pulling him back and forth, but he was glad to have Pops and those comics back in his life. Pops Newstand was the little light and comfort deep within the bowels and turmoil that was the inner city and it helped Chance deal with life as he grew up. Seeing that calico kat share that same bond and happiness with Pops stirred and warmed Chance's heart. Deep inside, Chance felt that one day he'd share his past with Jake and make sure to mention how this one place made his life bright within the darkness.

"Thanks Pops! Take care of that order, it's for someone special. Well, I'll see you around." The calico kat left in a hurry as she waved goodbye to Pops.

"I will! Come back soon." Pops yelled out as he waved back.

Walking up to the counter, Chance spoke out. "Hey Pops, how's it going?"

"Well, if it isn't Chance Furlong. I've got what you ordered. Been waiting all day for you to come." Pops answered as he got out a large book and handed it to Chance.

"Thanks Pops, sorry for keeping you waiting. I can always count on you." Smiling, Chance took the book and grasped it against his chest, keeping it out of Jake's sight.

"What's that you got there, Chance?" Trying to take a peak but to no avail, Jake crossed his arms.

Turning around to face Jake, Chance placed the book behind his back. "It's a little gift I ordered for you. I thought you needed something to help get some of your ideas out, so I custom-ordered this."

Revealing the book from behind his back, Chance handed Jake an expensive brown leather-bounded book. The craftsmanship was extraordinary as the book felt not only comfortable and personal but also felt strong and sturdy. On the front cover there was an intricate design of a kat's paw surrounded by golden feathers. Jake couldn't help but smile at the gift. Touching the book, Jake felt a wave of happiness as it was the first time Chance had ever given him something he thought about getting but never did.

"I know how you like to write down and draw plans for new gadgets, so I thought about getting you a personal sketchbook. Got it custom ordered and made the design myself with my paw." Chance happily said.

"Thank you, Chance. Didn't know you could read minds." Jake sarcastically said.

"I can't, but it's not hard to tell what you want when I've known you for so long." Smirking, Chance was struggling from grabbing onto Jake.

"Guess it'll be hard to keep secrets from each other, now that we're so close." Tumbling in his thoughts, Jake felt uneasy.

"Why would we want to in the first place? I know we've got a lot to work on but we shouldn't have anything to hide any longer." Concerned by his lover's thoughts, Chance attempted to give in and hold Jake by his side.

Before Chance could even muster up enough courage to show his affection in public, an explosion from the darkening skies interrupted him. An Enforcer Chopper had been taken down by a menacing aircraft that was being tailed by Commander Feral and his Enforcers. It was Hard Drive escaping from his pursuers with ease as he flew effortlessly past the neighborhood bringing about a small windstorm that toss about trash and newspapers along with magazines around Pops Newstand. Aggravated, Jake gave a stern mean look as he bit his lips since he had the urge to take down Hard Drive, but his promise with Chance in the back of his mind filled him with guilt. Chance, on the other hand, did his best to ignore the ruckus and was more concerned at how his partner was reacting. He felt Jake's uneasiness and helped console his partner by holding onto his paw. For a brief moment, Jake averted his attention to Chance's touch and felt the warm breeze of love flow through him as he grabbed Chance's paw back. But as quick as that came, the looming guilt between duty and love tormented Jake. His grip weakened and his paw dropped to his side.

Pop Perkins let out a sigh as he started to pick up the miscellaneous scraps of papers, comics and magazines that were scattered. "Those Enforcers always have trouble nabbing criminals. It's unfortunate that they lost the two of you young kats. You really showed them back in the day."

"It's there lost, Pops." Chance grumbled as he helped pick up the scattered mess around the newsstand.

"It's such a shame. But you know at least the city has them SWAT Kats. They always give them villains what they deserve." Pops said ecstatically.

"Without them, the city wouldn't even last a week." Eying the skies, Jake listlessly mumbled a rhetorical response.

Chance didn't know what to say. With his fists clenched, he felt helpless to give a rebuttal and reassure Jake. In his heart he knew that he and Jake had to be the SWAT Kats and had to take the weight of the responsibility of the city on their shoulders. But he didn't want to admit this fact to Jake because he deeply desired to slowly break away from the dangers of a life as the city's heroes. Swallowing his pride, Chance didn't respond to Jake's comment and kept wishing in his thoughts of one day just being a normal kat and having a normal life with his love, Jake.

The cold silence between the two lovers was more piercing than the cold and windy night drifting over the city. No word was spoken between the two as they helped Pops put his newsstand back in order. And as quick as the moment came, the two were back in the truck and headed home. The day had ended and all the efforts, all the smiles, all the happiness Chance tried to bring out in the both of them had been muddled by the looming shadows of the evil bearing down on the city, the evil that never seems to stop and drags on endlessly.

**

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**

Back at the garage, Chance parked the truck and began to help Jake unload the gifts they bought earlier in the day. Besides small talking, Chance and Jake were unusually quiet and kept to themselves for the rest of the evening. As the night drifted lazily, the two started to prepare for bed. As Chance got into the shower, Jake sat at his desk eying his new sketchbook. His paw was holding a pencil which he spun over and over as he contemplated writing something down. Since yesterday, Jake had been thinking about what he was writing before Chance came in and stopped him to ask him out. Even though Chance had been able to divert Jake's thoughts for part of the day, the same lingering thought kept playing in Jake's head. Although Jake had Chance, he felt so conflicted on whether it was right to be with his partner. The burn of having to hide their love in public, Chance's overprotective nature and his attempt to pull Jake away from SWAT Kat duties, such problems began to make Jake doubt if their love could exist.

As Jake stopped spinning his pencil, he grabbed the papers he had stowed away the previous day. One of the pages was a design for a new gadget that Jake had in mind while the other page contained some personal thoughts that Jake had written down, erasing over and over again and scratching out sentences here and there. The page appeared to have been as conflicted and jumbled as Jake's feelings towards his relationship with Chance and his duty as a SWAT Kat. Peering over his mess of words, Jake thought of making a promise to himself amidst his exposition of feelings drawn out over the page. Opening up the book to the first page, Jake began to write a message to himself. _'Never forget your duty. Never abandon your love.'_ Those words summed up what Jake decided to fight for, to live a life fulfilling his duty not only to protect the city but to also protect his love with Chance. Even if it seemed like an arduous and impossible task, Jake could not surrender all he wanted in life. Whether good or bad, Jake was willing to put everything on the line to make an unorthodox life possible, to be a SWAT Kat and to be Chance's true love.

Putting away the sketchbook, Jake made his way into the bed as he looked out towards the window. The chilly night outside filled with grey clouds foreshadowed an upcoming storm. But for now the night would remain calm. Coming out from the bathroom, Chance slipped into bed and held Jake close to him as they cuddled and fell asleep together. Their combined warmth would fend off the cold later in the night but the storm would still batter relentlessly outside. Yet the two lovers would sleep peacefully with each other, putting a rest to their thoughts for the meanwhile.

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**Where are Chance and Jake going as they struggle with their feelings of love and their duty to protect? Their relationship continues to be tested and they just got started too! With a different direction, Chance and Jake find life to be even more complicated than before. In this last arc, discover what lies ahead in the difficulties of love among heroes.**

**Thank you to all my readers and reviewers for your support. I'm glad to know you guys like my writing and it helps encourage me to push through. Always feel free to message me if you have questions or have any requests, I'm open to talk :D. **

**Been very distracted but have still managed to do some writings here and there. But with all of my schoolwork reinvigorating my thoughts, I'm finding it easier to write than before. Guess that's because my mind has been more productive now that I'm not lazying about like I was during summer. Look forward to more soon.  
**

**Anyways I'll keep at it! Review, comment, rate, as you like. I look forward to see what you guys say. Happy reading!**

***Brenton*  
**


	13. What Really Matters Lies In My Heart

**11/22/11: **

**It has been a long time since I've written anything and I have had drafts and chapters just lying about. Here's a little bit of what I worked on a long while ago. I'm thinking of maybe going back and finishing my first stories. For now, please enjoy this little excerpt. Thanks for all the favorite story and author adds, I see those email alerts here and there and they keep making me think back to these stories.  
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**Chapter 13: What Really Matters Lies In My Heart**

The blissful morning rose as the sun's rays broke the weakening gray clouds that began to dissipate after the stormy night. In their bedroom, Chance and Jake slept peacefully as the light pouring from the window slowly crept inside. All night long they had cuddled and they had fallen asleep in each others' arms. Chance had his large arm holding Jake close to him as Jake was on his side holding onto his lover. The light from outside slowly crawled across the floor until it reached the edge of the bed, beginning its trek up the bed until it shined brightly on Jake's face. With a touch of warmth on his face, Jake began to slowly stir and awaken from his peaceful rest. As he opened up his eyes, he saw that he was lying over Chance's chest, watching it rise and fall as he also listened to his buddy's heart beating soothingly. Not wanting to stir Chance, Jake kept still and enjoyed looking over his love for several moments as he waited for Chance to wake up. Finally, the light from outside filled the entire room and ushered Chance awake, and as he opened his eyes the first thing he saw was Jake looking up at him with glimmering and loving eyes.

"Well, good morning to you, Chance." Jake said sweetly as he caressed and rubbed against Chance.

"Good morning, Jake. Did I keep you waiting long?" Chance let out a large yawn as he replied.

"A little bit, but I was enjoying just watching you rest." Moving up towards Chance, Jake met his love's face and gave Chance a kiss.

"Guess yesterday took a lot out of us. But I'm glad we were out together, Jake." Trying his best not to show a concerned face, Chance thought about last night and still wondered how Jake was feeling.

"Me too, Chance. Thanks a lot, I had a lot of fun." Shrugging off his thoughts, Jake didn't want to spoil the moment and thought to let things be and not allow last night's incident sour the rest of the weekend.

"Glad to hear, buddy." Chance let out a smile, happy that Jake didn't seem so down as before.

With both Chance and Jake awake, both prepared to clean up and begin the day. Still in bed, the two lovers shared a few moments of cuddling and kissing as their warm bodies stirred their sleeping muscles and minds awake. Each warm embrace and each soulful kiss rejuvenated both Chance and Jake as their bodies woke up. Just for those moments, Chance and Jake felt the emanating warmth and comfort of their bountiful love for one another. After their morning moment together, Jake got out of bed and proceeded to the window as Chance got up and sat at the edge of the bed still slightly yawning. Peering outside the window, Jake saw clear skies and the sun shining beautifully across the landscape of Megacity and its outskirts. It wasn't often that the scenery appeared so beautiful but after the previous night's storm, the dark and mucky appearance of the world became full of life and beauty.

"Looks like the storm cleared things up. It's beautiful outside today." Jake commented as he looked out the window.

Getting up from the bed, Chance headed over to Jake to take a look for himself. "It is beautiful, Jake. Why don't we go out and enjoy it?" Chance asked as he brushed up again Jake and held him to his side.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to training?" Jake questioned.

"Not so fast, sure-shot. We already agreed to take a little break. Come on, just a little longer so we can enjoy ourselves and for you to get fully rested." Chance did his best to avoid Jake's question as he placed excuses beforehand in order to divert Jake's attention.

"Well, if only for a little bit longer...but Chance, we need to get back to work soon." Going along with Chance's request, Jake reluctantly agreed.

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**Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season!**

**Still unfinished but I hope to finish one day...**


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